There are many guides on the internet listing the best freeware applications that provide a decent solution to many computing tasks. These lists tend to be long, the software briefly mentioned and inaccurately reviewed, sometimes it can be difficult to narrow down the right tool for your specific job.
I make a point of sourcing and employing freeware applications on my computer, taking time to test them against their paid-for counterparts to see if they will enable me to the job I am after. This can be a lengthy process but it is all the more worthwhile when you can recommend these tools to friends and family, saving them time and money when outfitting their computers with the software they need.
I would like to share with you 10 really useful and free applications that I would be lost without on my Windows machine. I will try to include all relevant information, links and screenshots so that you can make an informed decision before you decide to download an use them.
In the current economic climate, jobs are scarce and many are working their hardest to make sure they still have one. Whether you run your own company or you work for a company who want to showcase new job opportunities, having the right platform to display these listings is always one of the most important things to consider.
I few days back I received an email from a company called JoobsBox highlighting their new jobs board listing software of the same name. Upon inspection, it looks to be the free open source solution to small and medium sized companies who either need to find new talent or jumpstart their recruitment process for other clients.
Many people should know by now that with the boom of the internet and developed downloadable software, many applications can open holes within your computer allowing a hacker to potentially access your computer. Microsoft and other similar companies such as Apple pay security researchers to exploit their own software, so hackers don’t find holes in them first and use them for “evil purposes”.
Unfortunately, there are times when the researchers fail to find an holes in certain software and hackers could potentially have already exploited it. This, of course, can be dangerous when private information in one’s computer is stolen or compromised . There is no foolproof way to protect yourself, but here are some obvious, and not so obvious tips.
Botnets are big business for malware and virus writers, with the ability to serve payloads of infected software and commandeer machines to use as spam emailers, it’s become difficult for normal computers users to identify and remove these threats.
Because different variations of botnets crop up everyday, virus scanners are finding it increasingly difficult to scan and identify these infected files. Sometimes the only way you can tell if you have such a thing on your machine is to notice random processes running in the Windows Task Manager or looking for abnormal levels of outbound internet traffic.
Luckily, security firms and software developers are trying to level the war on botnets. This article will list 5 tools that can aid you in your quest to hunt out potential security threats.
Searching for alternatives to paid software can be a pain at the best of times, scouring open-source repositories like Sourceforge, reading up on reviews to check if the application can do exactly what it says it can. Whilst there are social websites like Wakoopa that track application usage, there isn’t much in the way of sites that suggest different applications to the ones you already use.
AlternativeTo is a website that carefully selects the software it finds alternatives to, instead of listing thousands of applications that people wouldn’t necessarily find alternatives to.
On 04.06.09, In Useful Software, by Matt Brian
When it comes to working out a little bit of mathematics fast, a lot of people will open up the Calculator application within their Windows installation. The tool has quite a few functions that will assist most users but some will need an application that can scale to suit their mathematical skill.
Enter SpeedCrunch. SpeedCrunch is multiplatform (Windows, Mac and Linux) calculator that has support for expressions, users can copy and paste expressions into the bar and automatically receive as answer as they work.
Free software or Freeware is something that a tech community thrives on. In the current economic climate, free software has been allowing businesses to cost costs on expensive software suites whilst giving them the same functionality and reliance as before.
One way that people can save money on expensive software is to visit Giveaway of the Day, an initiative that offers free licensed software that would otherwise cost you money.
How many times to you use the right button on your mouse? How often do you right click? For me, I tend to use the mouse as much as possible and leave the keyboard to doing what it does best, typing. You can send files, cut, paste and play certain files with a right click, so why not add more functionality to it?
FileMenu Tools is a great little freeware application that runs intelligently in the background of your computer and allows you to add a whole lot of functions to a simple right click.
Let’s face it, everybody likes a gimmick. I have previously highlighted the File Destructor, a website that allows you to download custom made erroneous documents to fool your teachers into thinking your coursework corrupted on your disk. Now I wish to point you in the direction of an application for the working folk among us.
The Fake Progress Bar, from Digital Volcano is a freeware application that, when run, will make your computer look like it is working overtime, which couldn’t possibly allow you to do any work.
On 02.06.09, In Useful Software, by Matt Brian
On my work PC, I have a certain process when opening all the applications I will need that day. Firstly, I will fire up Outlook, second my database and then my browser Mozilla Firefox. If anything was to crash, I would be looking for my Outlook tab but after reopening it may have shifted to the furthest right position of my taskbar.
If you are as anal retentive as me, you will be glad to hear there is an application for Windows XP and Vista that will allow you to reorder your taskbar; Taskbar Shuffle.
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